We just got home. Five days in Milford, Michigan... where my husband grew up, and where his brother and sister still live.
It's a small village, located between Ann Arbor and Detroit. Some have compared it to Mayberry (you know... where Opie grew up). It's a small town with a lamp-lighted main street full of small, locally owned businesses.
This is a painting of downtown Milford, done by a local artist, Nancy Massoll:
Every summer they have a weekend-long festival called "Milford Memories". Main Street is lined with booths, displaying art and crafts for sale. There is food, drink, music and games for all. There is the "Cold Butt Euchre Tournament" where players sit on blocks of ice. There is the "Blind Canoe Race". A couple of years ago, my brother-in-law's dog won the "Worst Breath Contest".
My husband's daughter flew in from California with our four-year-old granddaughter. Our granddaughter had heard her mother reminiscing about summers in Michigan at the grandparents' lake cabin "up north". As soon as her mom told her they were going to Michigan, she went into her room and packed her own little suitcase. One of her wishes was to go fishing. Well, there are many, many lakes in Michigan. Many people have homes on lakes, and many of them have their own boats docked behind their house.
So... granddaughter got to go fishing! Her cousin took her fishing. Guess what? She caught two fish! She was SO excited! She got to go swimming in the hotel pool, played with the dogs at her aunt's and uncle's houses, and played with kids from a girls' soccer team who were also staying at our hotel.
On Thursday, my husband, his brother, sister and daughter all played golf in a special tournament. It is held every year and it is called "The Yeager Memorial". It honors my father-in-law, who was a beloved football coach for years in Milford, and who loved golf. Our daughter and granddaughter flew all the way from California to take part in it.
During our visit, we saw old friends. We shared a couple bottles of wine and a lot of laughter. It was a nice trip. And now, it's good to be home again.
2 comments:
We missed you ! A great description of a slice of life in small town America - it reminded me of that series of books about Mitford - by Jan Karon. The "Cold Butt Euchre Tournament" is a scream.
Thanks Susan, it's nice to be missed.
My mother-in-law lived there most of her adult life. When we would go downtown with her, she always stopped to talk to someone she knew. She had a running joke with the local police. Once she called them to trap a skunk in her yard... for years after, they would leave a little artificial skunk on her front yard whenever she was away.
Post a Comment